Southern Kings marked their Super Rugby debut with a 22-10 victory over Western Force at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.

Last Updated: 23/02/13 8:47pm

Wing Sergeal Petersen, who left school only two months ago, scored a brace of tries and fly-half Demitri Catrakilis added four penalties.

The Port Elizabeth-based side have replaced the Lions in this year's competition and have an inexperienced squad under New Zealand-born coach Matt Sexton.

Petersen scored his side's first points when he caught Force wing Alfie Mafi dithered over collecting a charged-down grubber and was able to snatch the ball from his grasp and run in unopposed.

The score was against the run of play and the Perth-based side began to flex their muscles. They took the ball through the phases from a scrum in the Kings' 22 and Pek Cowan scored with a pick-and-go from the base of the ruck.

And six minutes later, the Australians were in again and once more it came from patient build-up play. Mafi completed the try in the corner as they spread the ball wide. All three tries went unconverted and the Force led 10-5 at the break.

Watson injured

The home side had suffered a blow in the first half when captain Luke Watson was forced off just past the half-hour mark with a throat injury and did not return.

But, if they were second best in the first half, the Kings put in a gutsy display after halftime to score 14 unanswered points.

Catrakilis added two penalties to give his side the lead, before Hugh McMeniman received a yellow card for a high tackle on Ronnie Cooke.

With the Force a man down, the lead was extended when Petersen scored his second try on the hour mark.

Kings scrum-half Shaun Venter coughed up the ball over the goal-line, but the home side won it back following a Force knock-on and spread the ball wide. Petersen kept Will Tupou at bay with an excellent hand-off before darting in at the corner.

The Force were penalised at the scrum twice in quick succession, with Catrakilis slotting both kicks to take the score to 22-10 and out of sight of their visitors.